Ball drawing devices and ball drawing machines form the background of the invention. Devices and machines of this kind are used to determine winning numbers, for example for bingo and for other lottery games. A known ball drawing device has a drawing drum which is mounted in hollow shaft stubs, can be rotated in two directions about its shafts, preferably consists of a transparent hollow ball and into which a more or less high number of balls, which are provided with numbers, are introduced through the shaft stub, are mixed when the drawing drum is rotated in one direction, and are discharged one after the other with the aid of a discharge apparatus through the other hollow shaft stub when the drawing drum is rotated in the other direction, wherein the discharge apparatus has a helical channel which extends from the inner edge of the drawing drum to the discharge stub and which supplies the respectively first ball from amongst the balls which are accommodated by the channel to the discharge apparatus. In order to discharge the balls to an identification apparatus, the balls are guided by means of a ball guide with a rod.
A further known ball drawing device has a ball guide which has a ball track which is defined by means of rods which extend in the track direction.
A large number of different methods and apparatuses with which random numbers can be drawn is also known in the prior art. Many of these systems have relatively long ball guides which are intended to provide optical encouragement to the player and are intended to motivate said player to play more games. In particular, it is known to supply balls to the drawing drum via ball guides and to discharge the balls from the drawing drum via a ball guide after the balls are drawn.
In relatively long ball guides, in particular when the ball guide is additionally curved, the problem of individual balls possibly becoming stuck in the ball guide can arise.
This problem occurs, in principle, in ball guides, wherein the balls may lose speed and may even become stuck in the course of the ball track in specific situations, in particular when the ball track has a closely wound or helical profile. A situation of this kind leads to the respective game of luck having to be stopped and any cover which may be present having to be removed. A servicing engineer has to free the stuck ball from the ball drawing device and restart the game; furthermore, the device which has been closed again has to be resealed by an authorized office.
An event of this kind leads to the need for additional expenditure on servicing and to the respective ball drawing device stopping during the servicing work and the operator of the machine being able to arrange fewer games. If several balls become stuck during the course of play, for example over an evening, this can lead to a very considerable loss of takings for the machine operator when there are a large number of players. In addition, it may give the players the impression that they are being cheated by the operator of the machine or that the operator is manipulating the games.
The object of the invention is to prevent individual balls becoming stuck and to provide a ball guide and also a method of the type cited in the introductory part in which balls can be forwarded or led through without problems.